Ghost Rider
by Dakari-King Mykan
Summary: S2EP23: While Championing a sponsered horse trail ride for chairty, the titan come across and old riding field that turns out to be haunted by the ghost of a rider who abducts anyone who dares to trot along his field
1. Out for a Ride

**CHAPTER ONE**

Sometime in the 1950s, when Jump City was younger, and things weren't as advanced. There was a horse-riding range in the country outskirts of the city. A place where kids could take riding lessons, or people could just come for a holiday activity and ride for fun.

One of the stable hands was entertaining his girlfriend and her younger sister, who were both crazy about horses, and fine riders. The younger sister was going for a quick ride on her own "Are you sure it's okay out there, Max?"

Max, the stable hand assured her, "Just stick to the trails, and don't out too far."

The girl mounted her horse and rode off across the fields, while Max stayed behind for some quality time with his girlfriend. "Shouldn't you be taking care of the horses?" the girl teased.

"I could…" Max flirted "But then who'd be here to watch after you?"

As the girlfriend's sister rode through the fields, and was having the time of her life, she suddenly felt a cold and chilling wind pick up. "Wow!" she said "What's going on?" she wondered, and suddenly her horse came to a complete stop. "What's wrong, boy?" the girl asked. Then her horse began to feel spooked as if something were near. Something dreadful...!

The bushes began to rustle as if someone or something was there. The girl decided to ride back, but that's when _it came! The girl screamed and her horse reared and whined in fear…_

…It was so loud that it was heard all the way at the stables. Max and his girlfriend could see the girl riding towards the stables crying "Help…! Help me…!" but she and her horse were being pulled back by a ghostly creature behind her. The girlfriend screamed as she saw her sister being dragged away by the creature, and Max quickly rode out to try and save her…

…but he never made it!

…

**_(Present Day)_**

Decades later…

The air was buzzing about with charity in Jump City all week, and the police department had sponsored a horse riding trail to raise money for the children's hospital, and the Titans were asked to champion the trail ride as guests of honor, to which the graciously accepted. They were always one for helping charities, and it did attract a vast number of sing-ups. A chance to hang out with the Titans was a lot of kids and teens dreams.

It was very beautiful day to be riding. All the girls were riding stallions and the guys all rode mares. Robin was enjoying himself greatly, as it helped take his mind of finding a new name for the team… as they were all adults and not teens, which was why people just called them Titans.

Beast Boy stuck close to Terra, but even though she was pregnant and expected to deliver in another three months, she was still able to engage in activities, even riding, but she had already been forbade from entering battle anymore, by the doctors and Robin. Still… she wasn't enjoying herself.

Starfire and Cyborg were having the most fun. "Man, I tell you… this is the life." Cyborg said.

Starfire looked up ahead and saw the field was wide open. "Perhaps we shall make our steeds gallop?"

"All right…!" Robin said

"Dude, totally!" added Beast Boy.

"Yee-haw…!" remarked Terra pretending she was a cowgirl.

Raven and Copy-Cat, however, didn't feel so enthusiastic. "Gallop…?" Raven asked.

Copy-Cat was already feeling a little uncomfortable, having to wear riding boots, so as not to get his bare feet dirty in the fields. "I suppose we must…" he said "It is for a worthy cause."

"Not me…" Raven said "I'm getting off of this bumping mule."

The police-chief rode up to her saying, "Oh, no you don't, Raven! If everyone else gallops then so do you. Understand…?"

Raven narrowed her eyes and clenched her teeth in annoyance, and Beast Boy and Terra whispered cheekily to one another. "Come on, Raven." Terra said "It's a lot of fun, and you know you want to."

"Sure I do…" Raven said sarcastically "I want to gallop on this creature and feel like a bigger fool than I already feel like just walking it."

"Ah, Raven…" Beast Boy said as he rode next to her, "How do you know… unless you TRY!" and he softly slapped Raven's horse behind the saddle causing the hose to rear wildly. "Hey!" cried Raven "Wha… Whoa… HEY…!" and her horse took off across the field widely.

Beast Boy and Terra laughed, and Cyborg thought it was funny too. "Yo' that was dirty, man."

Copy-Cat was not impressed, but still everyone took off and galloped behind Raven.

Her horse was still galloping wildly across the fields and Raven was too scared to even let g or jump off and just held on as tight as she could. "Stop…!" she kept yelling. "Sit…! Stay…!" but her horse just kept going, and then Raven realized what she was supposed to say. She pulled back the reins firmly and shouted "WHOA…!"

He horse stopped so suddenly, like jamming down hard on the breaks, causing Raven to fly off his back like a catapult and she landed face-first in something mushy and smelly with flies buzzing around it.

_"Ugh…!" remarked some of the riders when they realized what that stuff was. Raven slowly pulled her face out of the mess, and her inner voices were going crazy with disgust and outrage, but all she did was softly say "I… I think the field-hands… missed a… spot!"_

Most of the other titans tried to hold it in, but they burst out laughing themselves to tears along with many of the other riders. Copy-Cat, still annoyed dismounted his horse and helped Raven up, and offered to help her back to the stables to get cleaned up. As they passed Beast Boy, Raven glared at him angrily with her face still stinky and covered in the stuff, "I… am going… to hurt you!" she hissed very deeply.

After they left and everyone stopped laughing, Starfire noticed something near the spot where Raven had landed. She moved the leaves and brambles of the plants covering it out of the way, and discovered an old wooden which lead through the trees to a larger open field, with old dilapidated stables, and fences everywhere. "Wow…!" remarked Robin as he and the others took a look. "Who knew this was here?"

The police chief got a good look at the field and said it was perfect to expand the trail ride so they could have more room for more riders. He rode back to the stables to tell the news, but the Titans remained curious about the field.

"I think I read about this place once." Cyborg said "It was an old riding ground built in the fifties, but they only used it for a short time."

"Why was that?" asked Terra

"I don't know. Somethin' about people and horses just suddenly disappearing…"

Robin had that expression on his face whenever something mysterious caught his interest. "If they do decide to reopen this place, maybe we should keep watch."

"Dude… it's just a field." Beast Boy said "How dangerous can a field like this be?"

Starfire, however, agreed with Robin. "There have been stranger things that have occurred before." she said "Perhaps there is more to this field than we know?"

So it was decided. The Titans would investigate the next day as the trail ride continued.

…

Later on… one of the field hands came out to clean up the mess Raven had fallen in. He was a middle-aged man, and his nametag read _"Max" and he knew the area beyond the bridge well. As he worked to clean up, he felt that cold chilling wind blow, and the leaves of the trees and brambles start to rustle._

He knew it was in there, watching him!


	2. Cold Feelings

**CHAPTER TWO**

Next day, the trail ride continued, and the other field was opened up by the stable managers so they had plenty of space to add more riders to the gang. The Titans rode their horses into that field and kept their eyes open for any signs of anything unusual, but so far everything seemed nice and easy.

Robin and Cyborg even took the time to examine the old dilapidated buildings. As expected, the places were pretty filthy as if they hadn't been tended to in decades. "It just doesn't make sense." Robin said "Why would they just close the place down and abandon it?"

"If I were the owners, I'd probably put in a theme park, or open a hotel resort." Cyborg said. While they continued their search, the other titans were enjoying themselves on the ride. Starfire and Terra were racing their horses in a gallop across the field, and they stopped just at the edge of the forest.

"Never before have I ever had so much fun." Starfire said.

"Me neither." Terra said. Then she felt her stomach "Ooh… I felt a kick."

"You okay, honey." Beast Boy asked as he rode up to her. His wife was just fine. They both couldn't wait until the baby was born. "Maybe we'll take him riding someday?"

"Him…?" Terra asked cheekily "How do you know _she's_ a he?" It was another one of their playful talks whether the baby was a boy or a girl. They still didn't know yet, but neither of them minded much anyway.

Suddenly, they all felt a draft of cold chilling winds. "Ooh…!" cried Starfire "The weather has certainly changed."

Terra shivered softly, and Beast Noticed the horses seemed worried about something, being the animal expert he could tell all the signs, but he also noticed the grass was only waving around them and not anywhere else. "Let's move somewhere else." he suggested, he and the girls rode off just in time as a pair of dark shadowy eyes shone through the shadows of the brambles.

Until long about sundown, the trail ride was almost over and a lot of the riders had already gone home. Dark rain clouds were coming in fast too. The weather called for a light shower that night.

The titans were stumped, and couldn't find anything unusual. "Maybe the stories were just stories after all." Raven suggested. The others felt they had to agree. "Where's Copy-Cat…?" Raven asked.

"Oh, he's out gathering up the rest of the riders." Robin said.

Suddenly, they all heard the sounds of screaming. The Titans all rushed outside to see the kids yelling as they fled from the field beyond the woods. "Titans… move!" cried Robin and they all dashed back to the fields, to find Copy-Cat hanging on for dear life to a tree as something seemed to be pulling him back like a vortex, and it also felt really cold as well… almost as cold as the artic.

The team dashed over, and Starfire even shot a few star-bolts from the direction the suction was coming from. The suction stopped, and the cold started to fade. "Dude…! What the heck's going on here?" snapped Beast Boy.

Raven hugged Copy-Cat warmly, happy that he was okay, but he felt as cold as ice. "What happened?" Robin asked.

"I saw it!" Copy-Cat said "With my own eyes… it had grabbed me off my horse… and it tried to freeze me."

"Friend… what tried to freeze you?" asked Starfire.

Copy-Cat tried to explain as best he could…

He was gathering up the rest of the riders and leading them back to the stables, when suddenly it began to feel colder, and his foresight began to warn him something wasn't right. That's when he saw it… a creature riding on a horse emerged from the forest. It pulled him off his horse and tried to freeze him.

The other titans couldn't see anyone and heard nothing. Not even any footprints in the ground, nevertheless they believed Copy-Cat saw it… as he was a cat-creature, his foresight let him see things other worldly. "What is it?" asked Cyborg "What does it want?"

Copy-Cat had no idea. He was able to sense it coming, but not its thoughts which could only mean it was a ghostly spirit. "A ghost?" cried Terra

Copy-Cat nodded, but then his foresight began to tingle again, and the cold started to pick up again. "It is returning!" cried Copy Cat. That's when Starfire felt herself being lifted up and being pulled towards the center of the cold winds. "Help me!" she cried. The other grabbed her and pulled with all their might, yanking her back.

The sun had completely set, and it finally appeared before everyone! It _was_ a ghost which glowed with a snowy white glow with a touch of blue indicating the freezing. It looked like a frozen rotting corpse and it was riding a horse of its own

Some of the titans tried blasting it, but their attacks went right through it. Cyborg scanned it "It's made of nitrogen!" All their attacks would be useless against it for it was like attacking fresh air.

The ghost was galloping right towards them on his horse. "He's coming…!" cried Terra. They all jumped out of his way, barley missing him, and it felt so sold that they felt their toes turned to icicles, and their feet went numb.

Suddenly, a light shone over by the entranceway. It was Max, the field-hand. "This way…!" he shouted "Get out of there! Hurry…!" Following the light, the titans made it out, and the ghost rider seemed to hiss and growled ghastly as he and his horse vanished back into the darkness.


	3. How to trap a freezing ghost

**CHAPTER THREE**

Everyone was sitting in the common area in the stables, by a roaring fire to warm up. Terra was doing her best not to freak-out to keep the baby safe. Beast Boy comforted her warmly. Then he looked across the room, "Max… what is that thing?" he asked. All the other titans wanted to know the same thing…

Poor Max just stood there gazing sadly out the window as the rain cloud continued to make their way across the night skies. "It's back…" he said "…Or maybe it never left"

He explained that when the stables first opened in those fields, when he was a teenager, he worked as the stable-hand. It was sundown one summer night, and his girlfriend's little sister and her horse were captured by that thing…! "We tried to save her but… it wouldn't let us. It kept pulling her towards it and then…" Max paused as he looked like he was going to cry in shame "Then she was frozen… and she died!"

The titans felt that was just horrible and they all finally realized why Max was always looking so upset and traumatized.

"No one believed us…" Max continued "…Until three more riders and horses were attacked. So… they closed down and abandoned the place and people forgot all about it." He turned to face the titans "…Until now!"

The Titans were in a twist of mind-blowing feelings, but what they still wanted to know about the ghost was. "Who is he?" asked Robin "What does he want here?"

"What is it that compels him to bring harm to other people?" added Starfire.

Max felt he had a good idea why, and explained that the entire area where the old stable was now use to be an old cemetery, and the stables were built and the land was converted into the horse trail, they had to dig up the caskets and move them out. "Nearest I can figure is… they missed one… and that ghost, the spirit, it wants revenge for being disturbed!"

The titans had enough evidence, and they weren't going to stand around and let that ghost continue to hurt people. "There has to be a way we can stop it." Terra said.

"How…?" asked Raven "None of our attacks will work on it. They'll just pass right through it. It's made of air."

Cyborg's eyes light up and a grin appeared across his face "Wrong!" he said "It's made of nitrogen, and what happens when you mix cold nitrogen with a sudden concentrated burst of hot air…?"

Everyone got the idea, but the only problem was house find a source of enough concentrated heat to do all that with. Starfire's star-bolts and Cyborg's sonic cannon weren't nearly hot or concentrated enough, and Beast Boy had an idea…

He asked if the old stable was really in that much bad shape, which his answer was yes. So he gathered the others together in a huddle…

Soon, while Terra stayed behind in Max's care as she was pregnant and not permitted to partake in anything to dangerous, the other titans were dumping tanks of gasoline all over the outsides and insides of the stables.

Their plan was to lure the ghost into the stables, then Cyborg would set his cannon to overheat, and then one shot would cause the whole place to go up in flames "And ka-boom…! Bye-Bye Ghost-man...!"

"Any ideas as how we are to lure him here…?" Copy-Cat said, and Beast Boy felt embarrassed and causally rubbed the back of his head "Uh… I'll get back to you on that?" he said shyly, and the others all smacked their faces in annoyance, but Robin did have a plan to lure the ghost out.

"We know it only appears at night, when the sun isn't out, and it only comes out when someone rides onto the land. "

"So we get a couple of horses and fake a ride out." Raven said, and then everyone gazed at Beast Boy. "Uh oh…!" he cried nervously.

What other choice did he have? So he morphed into a horse, and Starfire rode on him bareback with no tacks. They made their way out into the open field and just walked around a bit hoping the ghost rider would come out.

Copy-Cat suddenly felt his foresight tingle. "It is coming." he said. That's when the cold air starting coming in. Starfire and Beast Boy could feel it, and they could see the glowing through the forest. The ghost rider's steed leapt through the brambles and landed just twenty feet away from them. The ghost rider glared angrily at Starfire and Beast Boy as they began to ride away from him straight towards the old building.

The ghost rider gave chase and followed them inside, completely unaware of the gas-spill.

Starfire hopped off of Beast Boy, and Beast Boy changed back into his normal self. Now all they had to do was make for the rear exit and get clear before the others would set the whole place ablaze. "There's the exit!" cried Beast Boy, but before they could reach it, the ghost rider managed to slip past them and freeze it tight, and he had also frozen the other exit, trapping Starfire and Beast Boy inside.

"Friend…! I believe we are in trouble." Starfire said.

"Really…? I didn't notice." Beast Boy said sarcastically.

The ghost rider glared at the two of them fiercely as he slowly approached them and ready to freeze them to death. Both Starfire and Beast Boy held each other trembling in fear. None of their attacks would work so it was pointless to try. The closer the rider got, the more frigid it felt. Starfire and Beast Boy feel themselves starting to freeze and would surely had been done for had Raven not used her powers to reach through the roof, grab them and pull them out to safety. "I got you guys!" she said.

Once she got clear, did Cyborg aim his cannon from a far and shout out, "Yo' Frosty…! Catch…!" and he fired his super-hot shot at the building causing the gas to ignite, and the whole building to go up in a massive flame.

Ghost rider felt the heat rising as his shape and his horse began to combust. The titans all back as far from the flames as they could. "Did it work?" asked Robin "Did we get him…?"

He soon got his answer as the flames began to move in an unusual manner, and the ghost rider rose up, larger than ever, now as a flaming ghost instead of a freezing one. "Ah, man…!" cried Cyborg "Talk about a hot head."

"Hey…! That's my line for bad jokes." Beast Boy said.

They seemed to have only made things worse than better. Ghost Rider now looked ready to burn the whole field and all the forest around him to bits, when suddenly the skies shook with thunder and lightning from the clouds overhead as the rain began to fall…!

Ghost Rider screeched and yowled as he could feel the water sploshing on him and reducing them flames to vapour. He began to wither away like a melting snowman, and then he and his steed were all gone along with the last of the old stables.

The titans sighed heavily in relief.

…

When the team got back to the real stables, Max was very happy to hear of the titans' success. "Finally…" he said softly "After all these decades… it's over! Thank you, Titans! Thank you!"

The evil ghost would never bother anyone ever again, and Max was finally going to begin to ease his regrets and no longer be tortured by his memories.

Terra wished she was there during the battle. "Sometimes being pregnant can really make things rough." she said.

…

The next day as the trail ride continued. The fields were all open wide, and with the ghost rider no longer a threat, everyone could ride about without much worry. Raven was also starting to take a shine to riding as well. "You know… this isn't so bad." she said.

The others were glad she was coming round. Suddenly, Beast Boy's horse began to go the other way against his control. "Hey!" he said as he tugged the reins, but the horse still didn't obey him. "Where are we going?"

The horse brought him towards a large mud puddle that had been made by the night's rain, and then bucked about forcing him off and falling into it.

Raven giggled softly, and the other titans were confused, until they saw the horse changed back into Copy-Cat. The prank was Raven's idea to get back at Beats Boy for what happened before. The other titans laughed, even Terra. "Paybacks are always fun." Raven joked, but Beast Boy just lay there and pulled his face up. "Very funny!" he remarked sourly!


End file.
